Improvement in car-couplings



J. S. WILLIAMS.

CAR-COUPLING.

No.182,878.. Patented Oct. 3,1876;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 182,878, dated October3, 1876; application filed July 27, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that'I, JOHN S. WILLIAMS, ofChicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented newand useful Improvements in Gar-Couplings and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents ageneral plan or top view of a railway-car coupling embodying my saidinvention, and Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

In the drawing, A A represent the central or draft timbers of the car,and a a the crosspieces, all of which are arranged in the usual manner.B is a metal cross-bar, which is secured at its ends upon guides or ways0 0 attached to the draft timbers, and so arranged as to allow thecross-bar to move forward Or backward in the direction of the length ofthe car. D D are the jaws forming the draw-bar, and. respectivelypivoted to the cross-bar B, centrally between the draft-timbers, andextend from a point near the rear cross'piece a, forward to a point inadvance of the forward end of the draft-timbers, as shown in Fig. 1. Theforward ends of said jaws are made bell-shaped, so as to receive thecoupling-bar E, and to form the buffer-head.

F F are metal springs, which are permanently attached at one end to thecross-bar B, and on opposite sides of the jaws, and extend forwardnearly to the forward end of said jaws, and so arranged as to bearagainst the outer sides of said jaws, as shown at d (1. G is anindia-rubber or other elastic band or ring, fitted around the jaws andthe outer ends of the springs F F, as shown in Fig. 1.

The arrangement of said band and the springs is such as to yield andallow the coupling-bar to pass between the jaws, when the cars are movedtogether for the purpose of coupling them, and to hold the jaws togetherwhen the coupling-bar is inserted, so as to prevent it from being drawnout.

H is a concussion-spring, which is loosely secured to the rear end ofthe jaws, and so arranged as to bear against the rear crosspiece a ofthe car-frame, and yield and allow the jaws to move backward when thecars are brought together in the act of coupling, and thereby relievethe cars from concussion, and to force the jaws forward to their normalposition when the cars are moved from each other.

J J are curved metal bars, which are attached to the outer sides of thejaws, near their centers, and extend backward to the rear ends thereof.K K are cams, which are journaled to a cross-bar, L, attached to thedraft-timbers, and are so arranged as to bear against the bars J J.Permanently attached to said cams are levers f f, which are connected toeach other by a connecting-rod, 9, pass ing across under the jaws. M isa jointed lever, which is attached at one end to one of the levers f,and extends forward to or beyond the forward end of the car, and isthere attached to a vertical crank-shaft, N, journaled to the end of thecar.

The arrangement of said levers and crankshaft is such that, as a rotarymovement is imparted to the said shaft, the levers are drawn forward soas to force the cams against the bars J J, thereby forcing the rear endsof the jaws together, and opening the forward ends of the jaws, so as toallow the couplingbar to be withdrawn when the cars are to be uncoupled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the jaws D D, of the cross-bar B, springs F F,and elastic band G, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with the jaws D D of the bars J J, cams K K, leversff, connecting-rod g, jointed lever M,aud crank-shaft N, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

JOHN S. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

F. W. HOWARD, H. (JOHN.

